Patrick j



(N-o Model.)

xNo. 574.250.

P. J.-LEONARD& W. HEAD.

Patented Dec. l29 1,896.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK J. LEONARD AND VILLIAM I'IEAD, OE NEW YORK, 1I. Y.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterslPatent No. 574,250, dated December 29, 1896.

Application filed May 1l, 1896. Serial NQ 591,076. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PATRICK J. LEONARD .and WILLIAMHEAD, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

This invention relates to certain improvements in locks, and has for its object to provide a lock ofa simple and inexpensive construction which shall be especially adapted for use on milk-cans and similar receptacles to hold the cover or lid of the can against accidental or unauthorized removal.

The invention consists in a lock comprising two parts, one adapted to be inserted in the other and provided with tongues, and a bolt having a conical thread to screw in the inner part of the lock and arranged to expand said tongues against the inside of the outer part of the lock to hold the two parts against separation.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts of the improved lock, whereby certain important advantages are attained, and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use than similar devices heretofore employed, all as will be` hereinafter more fully set forth. The novel features of the invent-ion will be carefully deined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the upper part of a milk-can, showing the cover or lid secured in place thereon by means of a lock constructed in accordance with our invention; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing an under side plan, the cover or lid having an inner section or part of the lock secured thereto.

In the views, 1 indicates the body portion of a milk-can, which may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction, having a neck 2 at its upper end, with an expanded lip 3, and 4 indicates the cover or lid of the can, having a central cylinder 5 projecting from its under side and adapted toflt snugly within the neck 2 of the can.

The lower section or partof the lock is provided with a plate or head 6, adapted to be riveted to the under side of the lip 3 of the milk-can, and on vsaid plate is formed an upwardly-projecting tubular portion 7 extending through an opening formed in the lip 3 andhavingitsoppositeendsopen. Thelower end S of the tubular portion 7 of the lower section or part of the lock opens at the under side of the rim or lip 3 of the can, and since the plate 6 is arranged to stand at an, angle to the part 7, so as to it against the under side of the inclined lip, said lower end 8 is made somewhat enlarged, so as to permit the ready insertion of a key for opening or closing the lock.

In the hollow of the lower portion 7 of the lock is arranged to fit the body portion 9 of the upper part or section, said upper part or section being formed at its upper end with an elongated plate 10, riveted, as indicated at 11 in Fig. 2, to the upper surface of the milk-cany cover or lid 4. The body portion 9 of said upper section or member is made hollow at its lower end and is provided with interior screw-threads, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The lower end of the body portion 9 of the upper section or part of the lock is provided with longitudinal slits 12, extending through the screw-threaded portion, and in the lower end of said body portion 9 is arranged to screw the bolt 13, having conical screwthreads on its surface, and provided at its lower end with a square or head 14, adapted to be engaged by a wrench or tool inserted at the lower open end 8 of the lower section or part of the lock, whereby the lock may be opened or closed.

In operation, when the cover or lid 4 of the can is put in place, the body portion 9 of the upper section of the lock is inserted in the hollow of the part 7 of the lower section in the position indicated in Fig. 1, after which a key or wrench of any desired kind is inserted at the open lower end `8 of the lower section in position to engage the square 14 on the lower end of the bolt 13, so that said bolt may loe turned or screwed into the hollow of the body portion 9 of the upper section.

IOO

The body portion 9 of the upper section being longitudinally slitted and the screwthreaded portion of the bolt 13 being made conical, it will be evident that the bolt will serve to expand the slitted or tongued lower end of the upper section, so as to hold the same securely locked with the lower section, whereby the removal of the cover or lid 4 will be prevented until after the bolt 13 has been unscrewed.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved lock is of an extrem ely simple and inexpensive nature, and is especially well adapted for the purposes for which it is designed, and it will also be readily understood that the invention is susceptible of some modication without m aterialdeparture from its principles and spirit, and that it may be employed for various purposes other than holding the lids or covers of milk-cans in place. For this reason we do not Wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact form and arrangement of the various parts herein set forth.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination with a can, of a lock comprising a tubular part attached to a portion of the can, an expanding part secured to another port-ion of the can and adapted to enter the tubular part and a screw-plug for expanding the expanding part, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a milk-can comprising a body port-ion and cover, of a lock consisting of a tubular section secured to the body portion of the can, a hollow section secured to the cover of the can and adapted to enter the tubular section, the said hollow section being longitudinally split and provided with an interioil screw-thread, and a bolt having a conical screwthreaded portion to engage the thread of the hollow section and expand the same, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a milk-can having a body portion and a cover, an outwardly-extended lip on the neck of the body portion, a tubular loclesection having its lower end expanded in an opening in said neck, a hollow section attached to the cover, and adapted to enter the tubular section, the body portion of the hollow section being longitudinally split and having an interior screw-thread and an expanding-bolt for engaging said screwthread, substantially as speciiied.

PATRICK J. LEONARD. VILLIAM HEAD. lVitnesses: Y

JOHN WALLACE, WILLIAM ALLEN. 

